Home LifestyleHow to maintain gut health during monsoon? Experts share 5 key habits
Maintaining good gut health is especially important during monsoon season when the risk of digestive upset increases. A microbiologist shares some key lifestyle tips to keep your gut healthy.
When we talk about gut health, what we can imagine are the various processes of digestion. Keeping our gut healthy is essential to maintain a healthy and happy body. If our gut is in poor condition, it will manifest as stomach upset and feeling unwell. Therefore, it is also crucial to be aware of our gut bacteria. Gut bacteria are microorganisms that live in our body and affect our immune function. There are good bacteria, bad bacteria and nasty bacteria. The gut is not just responsible for digesting food and absorbing nutrients, it is also the largest immune organ in the body. These bacteria help the immune system grow.
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There are good and bad bacteria in the human body. The good bacteria are known as probiotics. Probiotics means “for life”. Therefore, we cannot live without these bacteria.
Constipation, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems increase during the rainy season. This could be due to consuming contaminated food and drinks. Food spoils more easily in hot and humid weather. Humid weather creates the right environment for bacteria to grow and multiply rapidly. India.com had a special exclusive interview with Dr. Neerja Hajela, Microbiologist and Scientific Head, Yakult Dhanom India, who explains the nature of gut bacteria and how you can keep your gut healthy in your daily life.
5 Expert Tips for Maintaining Gut Health
The most important thing is a balanced diet. Dr. Hajela says, “You hear about fad diets like no carb diets, low carb diets, keto diets, etc. but I think they are all myths. You need to have a balanced diet as your body needs carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals etc.” What we tend to forget is water. It is important to drink at least 7-8 glasses of water every day. According to the new guidelines of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), you should have at least 30 grams of fibre as part of your diet. It is important to include whole grain foods. At least 30 minutes of physical activity every day is essential. Dr. Hajela says it can be dancing, walking, yoga or anything but moving your body is important. Eight hours of sleep is very important. Keep away from mobile phones and electronics and keep a good healthy sleep schedule as it also affects your gut.
A lot of our gut health is determined by our lifestyle — the diet, sleep, how we handle stress — all affect our gut. Hence, a healthy and active lifestyle will help boost the good bacteria to keep you healthy during the monsoon.
